Venomous snakes are washing up on Aussie beaches in droves
Snake catchers have been inundated with sea snake rescues as the reptiles wash up in 'vulnerable' conditions.
Over the last two days, snake catchers have been inundated with calls as sea snakes continue to wash up on beaches, with one rescue team scrambling to figure out what's going on.
Sea snakes are notorious for being highly venomous and, unlike sea kraits, they don't usually come out of the water. However, the Sunshine Coast Snake Catcher team have rescued five within the last 48 hours and alarm bells have been ringing.
Snake catcher Dan Rumsey thinks he knows what is causing it.
"There was fairly rough coastal conditions," he told Yahoo News. "Some of the snakes were underweight or in poor general health, so the weakened animals, whether injured or sick, are being pushed to shore."
Rumsey and his colleagues have rescued five sea snakes in the last 48 hours across the Sunshine Coast, with quite a few washing up at beaches in Noosa Heads. There has been a range of species rescued including yellow-bellied, elegant and olive-headed.
Fine line between 'delicate' handling and dodging venom
Sea snakes are a "bit different to handle" compared to land snakes, and rescuers need to be "delicate" as sea snake bodies are used to being supported by water, so contact can severely compromise their bone structure.
"They're much more fragile... obviously their bodies are used to being supported by the ocean so you have to handle them carefully... but you have to remember that, you know, they have a neurotoxic venom that can make you sick," he said.
Many species of sea snakes have small fangs but if bitten, the venom they inject can be lethal. Venom from yellow-belied sea snakes is highly toxic, inflicting symptoms such as muscle pain, vomiting, paralysis and even death.
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The sea snakes rescued over the last few days have been "vulnerable", meaning they are less likely to bite but still pose a risk. However, many that have been taken to a local vet by the team haven't made it back to the ocean — a sad reality of being a rescuer, Rumsey explained.
Residents urged to call professionals if sea snake sighted
With so many sea snakes washing up on beaches, members of the public, and particularly dog walkers, are being warned to stay away from them. Online, one Noosa local urged others to be careful and not to "attempt to put them back into the sea".
"Phone a snake catcher and follow their instructions please," the local wrote.
This sentiment was echoed by Rumsey who said if members of the public do see a snake on the beach, trying to push it back into the ocean is not only in the worst interest of the reptile but also poses a severe health risk to the beachgoers.
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